Kazakhstan Is Slowly Integrating UAVs Into Its Armed Forces |
Crossroads Asia | Security | Central Asia
Kazakhstan Is Slowly Integrating UAVs Into Its Armed Forces
As drones prove decisive in modern warfare, Kazakhstan is working to embed them in its military while slowly making a shift toward domestic production.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has only sporadically appeared in drone-related headlines, often due to accidental crashes in the country or incidents involving infrastructure across the border in Russia, all related to the war in Ukraine. Yet as drones become central to modern warfare, Kazakhstan has been steadily building its own capabilities.
Since 2016, the Central Asian country has expanded its arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sourcing systems from a range of international partners. However, despite increased investment, their use has largely been confined to surveillance, particularly in policing contexts, while combat applications remained limited.
This began to change in January, when the Ministry of Defense announced that elements of Kazakhstan’s airborne forces would begin training with smaller UAVs, including first-person view (FPV) drones. The move suggests a growing recognition of drones not just as reconnaissance tools, but as tactical assets on the battlefield.
At the same time, Kazakhstan is positioning itself for a longer-term shift. With domestic repair facilities and licensed production of foreign-designed drones already in place, attention is now turning toward developing indigenous systems. While such ambitions have existed for years, 2026 could mark a turning point.
As previously reported, Kazakhstan entered the military drone market in 2016 with the purchase of two Chinese long-range UAVs capable of both reconnaissance and strike missions. This acquisition marked the beginning of a broader procurement strategy, with additional drones later sourced from Russia, the United States, Israel, and Turkiye.
A key development came in 2022, when Kazakhstan reached an agreement with Turkiye not only to purchase drones but also to begin licensed domestic production of the Anka UAV. In 2024, officials........